The present invention relates to computer input devices, and more particularly, to input devices for movement of computer icons on a screen.
Various input devices are in use for manipulating icons such as mouse pointers on screens of computers and various electronic devices. For example, computer mice and trackballs are popular as input devices for desktop computers.
For portable devices (such as personal digital assistants (PDAS) and cellular telephones), touch sensitive pads, joystick controls (for example pointing sticks), and push buttons are popular. However, each of these devices has drawbacks. For example, touch pads require a relatively large input area. In small devices such as wireless telephones, surface area is at a premium. Joystick controls have poor user feedback. This is because joystick controls typically do not move at all; rather, pressure sensors are used to detect user input. Push buttons allow movements only in discrete directions rather than movements in all directions.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a pointing device that eliminates or alleviates these shortcomings.